Prime’s New Jersey hospitals will continue to honor the rates and services in the agreements until the end of the cooling off period. The decision impacts Saint Clare’s Health in Denville, Dover and Boonton, Saint Michael’s Medical Center in Newark, and Saint Mary’s General Hospital in Passaic. Dr. Sonia Mehta, regional CEO and chief medical […]
Sicker patients, fewer outpatient visits, and higher expenses for labor, drugs, and supplies will continue to damage the financial health of hospitals and health systems throughout 2021, says a new analysis released today by the American Hospital Association (AHA). Hospitals nationwide will lose about $54 billion in net income over the course of the year, […]
In nearly two decades, the overall concentration of healthcare spending has remained steady, but there has been an increase in the concentration of prescription drug spending, according to a study in JAMA Network Open. To find the concentration curves of cumulative percentage of healthcare spending versus percentage of ranked population, researchers analyzed data sets from […]
Healthcare B2B payment transactions have been high in 2021, potentially signaling the importance of electronic payment transfers as the nation emerges from the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report from National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA). Nacha oversees the ACH Network, a national payment system. B2B payments made through this network in the healthcare industry […]
CMS is looking to modernize the ACO reporting process by mandating the use of electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs). However, accountable care organizations (ACOs) are concerned that the lack of healthcare interoperability will make electronic ACO reporting near impossible. “CMS must avoid making eCQMs mandatory until standard data fields exist across EHRs, and true interoperability […]
The organization is concerned about policies in the 2022 Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule, ranging from telehealth worries to apprehension about MIPS. The AHA agreed with certain aspects of the rule but also voiced various problems and recommendations for CMS to consider. The AHA opposed several telehealth policies that CMS included in the rule. The […]
HHS has announced that 2.8 million people gained health insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act marketplace during the special enrollment period. This influx of enrollees raised marketplace enrollment to 12.2 million, the highest enrollment level that these marketplaces have ever seen. “It’s clear that when health coverage is accessible and affordable, people sign up, […]
CMS is exploring a new rule due to concerns raised and operational challenges. The rule that would have allowed access to Food and Drug Administration-designated and -approved technologies for Medicare patients suffering from illnesses and conditions that existing treatments and technologies are unable to address. CMS is exploring a new rule due to concerns raised […]
SCAN Health Plan will offer its senior-first Medicare Advantage Plans in 17 markets across three states starting in 2022. SCAN currently provides senior-focused Medicare Advantage plans to 220,000 Californians and aims to reach even more seniors by extending its offerings to Alameda and San Mateo counties. The payer had not offered plans in states other […]
It’s more important than ever for revenue cycle leaders to think seriously about succession planning as baby boomers begin to retire and the revenue cycle increasingly requires more specialized skills, says PeaceHealth’s senior enterprise director of HIM, coding, and CDI. “Everyone’s replaceable,” says Cassi Birnbaum, senior enterprise director of HIM, coding, and CDI at PeaceHealth […]